Artist-Designed Towels: A Shore Thing

Artist-Designed Towels: A Shore Thing

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Published December 3, 2008

Ed Ruscha’s towel. Courtesy of Target and Art Production Fund

If Kehinde Wiley’s paintings of homosocial half-nude black men raise some eyebrows in a gallery, you can imagine what they did to the Jersey shore last summer, when it was released as part of Target and Art Production Fund‘s high/low collaboration. Now in the partnership’s third year, it’s Ed Ruscha’s text-based towel, featuring the artist’s 1983 “The Study of Friction and Wear on Mating Surfaces,” that takes up Wiley’s risque gaunlet. For the lighter of heart, there’s Karen Kilimnik’s tropical tableau, or Julian Schnabel’s impasto smears. Of course nothing says the beach like noir-ish surf poetry by Raymond Pettibon.

Since November 14, the towels have been available for $50 on target.com and worksonwhatever.com. During Art Basel Miami Beach, the towels are on sale at the Standard and Raleigh Hotels.